Guide arm for valve rods



Feb. 23, 1937. J. F. DUNCAN 2,071,323

GUIDE ARM FOR VALVE RODS I Filed Marsh 25, 1936 INVENTOR Patented Feb,23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in guide arms for valve rods offlush tanks.

In flush tanks employing a discharge valve, means for operating thedischarge valve and an overflow pipe, it is necessary to guide the valvestem on the valve in order to maintain the valve in alinement with itsseat. This guiding means comprises a guide arm and is usually mounted onthe overflow pipe of the tank. Devices are known which are adjustable inlength to fit various installations so that if the distance between theoverflow pipe and the valve seat varies in different tanks, suchdifferences may be compensated for; In addition some types of tanks havedifferent sized overflow pipes so that different guide arms arenecessary for diiferent tanks and therefore it is necessary tomanufacture different sized guide arms for different types of tanks. Myinventionovercomes the objections to prior art devices and includes theprovision of a device which is both adjustable in length and alsoadjustable for different sized overflow pipes or other supports. Adevice made according to my invention includes a guide arm for a 5 valverod adapted to be mounted on difierent sized overflow pipes in flushtanks or to be mounted on any other different sized supports and adaptedto be clamped in any desired position on the pipes or supports. Inaddition such a device includes a member adjustable in length so thatthe same guide arm may be used in any flush tank apparatus in which thedistance between the overflow pipe or other support and the valve seatis within the limits of adjustability of the adjustable member.Furthermore, a device made according to my invention is so constructedas to be clamped in adjusted position by a single fastening means. Ihave illustrated the best form known to me at this time but it is to beunderstood that changes may be made withoutv digressing from the spiritof my invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a portion of tank showing mydevice in position on an overflow pipe;

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged side elevation of the device shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged top plan view of the device shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged top plan view of a device applied to alarger pipe or support; and

Fig. 5 represents a vertical enlarged section taken substantially online 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing the reference character In designates aportion of a flush tank having a discharge pipe connection l2 passingthrough the bottom wall l4 of the tank. Positioned within the tank II]is a valve seat member it connected to the discharge pipe connection l2.An extension I8 is provided on valve seat member It to which an overflowpipe or tube 20 is connected. Cooperating with the valve seat member I6is a ball valve 22 which is operated by a valve rod 24 connected to alink 26. Link 26 is connected to a lever 28 which is secured to arotatable rod 33 mounted in a bracket 32 secured to the top of overflowpipe or tube 20. The rod 30 and its associated parts are operated by ahandle 34 mounted exteriorly of the tank III.

In devices having the above mentioned parts it is necessary to guide thevalve rod 24 and my invention comprises a guide arm which is adjustablymounted on the overflow pipe or tube or other support, the guide armbeing so constructed that it may be used in different type tanks or thelike which have different sized overflow pipes or tubes. My inventionincludes a split or two-part clamping member 36 having arms 38 and 40which are pivotally mounted and which are provided with opposed arcuateportions 42 which are adapted to be placed around the overflow tube orother support 20 and held in position by a thumb screw 44. Arm 40 has athreaded opening 46 on an extension 48 to receive the threaded portionof thumb screw 44 and arm 38 has longer extension 50 provided with aslot 52 to slidably receive the screw 44 and permit relative movementbetween the screw and clamping arm 38 when the clamping member is placedon overflow pipes or other supports. The slot permits relative movementof the parts when the device is applied to different sized tubes orsupports. The thumb screw 44 has an enlarged portion 54 to abut theextension on arm 38 and the sides of the slot 52 to hold the parts inassembled position.

slidably mounted on a rear extension 60 of arm 38 of the clamping memberis a grooved member 62 provided at one end with a forked guide arm 63having openings 66 of substantially the same size as the valve rod 24for slidably receiving and guiding such valve rod. As shown in thedrawing, the member 62 and extension 60 have tapering sides to assist inthe alinement of the parts, but it is to be understood that I am notrestricted to this shape and other shapes may be used without departurefrom the spirit of my invention. Grooved member 62 and extension 60 ofarm 38 are provided with alined slots 64 and 66 to rceive bent portion61 of arm 40.

At its end the bent portion has a head 68 to hold arms 38 and 40' inpivoted relation and to hold grooved member 62 in position on extension60. Head 68 also cooperates with the ends of slot 64 to limit the amountof movement of member 62 on extension 66. Member '62 has an abutment 10to limit the movement in one direction of member 62 on extension 60. Inassembling the device member 62 is mounted on extension 66 and with thescrew 44 out of operation, member 46 is moved so that head 68 isparallel to slots 64'and 66 and the head is then passed through theslots. After this movement the member 40 is moved to the position shownin the drawing so that head 68 is at right angles to the slots and holdsthe clamping members in pivoted relation and also holds member '62 inplace when the screw is inserted in opening 46 and tightened. The slot66 in extension 66' is of sufficient length to permit and compensate fordifferent positions which are assumed by the arms 38 and 40 when thedevice is applied to different sized tubes or supports. The slot 64 ingrooved member 62 is longer than slot 66 to permit extension of thelength of the clamp for tanks where the distance between the overflowpipes and the valve seats varies. The relative sizes of the slots may bevaried.

In Fig. 3 I have shown my device applied to a tube of one size and inFig. 4 I have shown a device of the same size as shown in Fig. 3 appliedto a much larger tube and it will be noted that the screw 44 has assumeda diiferent position from that shown in Fig. 3 and that the screw hasmoved in slot 52 toward the outer end of extension 50. In either ofFigs. 3 and 4, grooved member 62 is slidably mounted so that the lengthof the clamp may be varied, if necessary.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and thearrows designate the forces acting on the arms 38 and 40.

The operation of my device will be clear from the preceding descriptionbut I will briefly set it forth here. The arms 38 and 40 are placedaround the tube or support 20 and the forked end arm 63 is mounted onvalve rod 24. The parts are then assembled and held in proper positionafter which the thumb screw 44 is threaded through opening 46 in arm 40and screwed up tight until the parts are securely held in position asshown in the drawing. Before the screw 44 is tightened the member 62 ismoved to provide the proper distance between valve rod 24 and overflowpipe 20. This adjustment of member 62 may be made when the device isused on tubes or supports having diiferent diameters. The tightening ofthe screw simultaneously secures the clamping members to the tube 20'and also secures the arm 63 in adjusted position. As the screw istightened head 68 on arm 40 is pressedin one direction and extension 60and member 62 on arm 38 are pressed in the opposite direction. My deviceis also adjustable for use with different sized tubes or supports asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. My device has few parts and is easily assembled,applied and removed and parts may be easily replaced.

While I have shown the best form of my invention known to me at thistime, I do not wish to be limited thereto as changes may be made in theconstruction shown without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim is: I

1. A device of the character described including pivotally mountedmembers having curved portions adapted to embrace a supporting member,means for releasably holding said members in adjusted position, a guidearm adjustably mounted on one of said members, said guide arm and saidlast mentioned member having alined openings, said other member having aportion extending through said openings for pivotally mounting saidmembers with respect to each other.

2. A device of the character described, including members adapted to bemounted on a tubular member, screw means for releasably holding saidmembers in adjusted position, an arm adjustably mounted on. oneof saidmembers, said last mentioned member and said arm having alined slots,said other member having a portion passing through said slots, and saidportion having a head for holding said members and arm together whensaid screw means is manipulated.

for securing the parts in position.

3. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a,supporting member, two clamping members mounted on said supporting-me'mber, one of said clamping members having a slot adjacent one end, aguide arm having a slot and slidably mounted on said slotted clampingmember, the other clamping member hav-. ing a bent portion adjacent oneend and a head, said bentportion passing through said slots and saidhead holding said clamping members in pivoted relation, and a screwpassing through said clamping members for securing theparts in adjustedposition.

4. A device of the character described, including, in combination, asupporting member, two

clamping members mounted thereon, one of said clamping members having aslot adjacent one end, a guide arm slidably and adjustably mount-. edronsaid slotted clampingmember, said guide arm having, a slot in alinementwith said slot in said clamping member, the. other clamping memberhaving a bent portion adjacent one end and a head, saidbent portionpassing through said slots andsaid head holding said clamping members inpivoted relation, and a screw pass-. ing through said clamping membersand adapted when.tightened to hold said clamping mem-, bers and saidguide arm position.

JAMESF. DUNCAN.

securely in adjusted

